Louise taught me
That it's okay to have friends.
Friends to laugh with,
Love others with,
Give with,
Work with,
Hike with,
Bake with,
Talk about things that matter with,
Even disagree with.
Sister friends and Brother friends.
Louise taught me
To loosen up
On my program of brutal self-betterment/embitterment.
Perfection isn’t for you or me.
Loving those you profess to love
Is to live out the truth.
Caring for those you say you care for is the closest we can get to perfection in this life.
Keeping that promise,
Pursuing that hope,
And loving that person well.
“Who?”, I ask her.
Louise answers, “Me right now, because I am the one standing right in front of you. Tomorrow? Perhaps, it will be a different not-so-strange stranger looking back at you like a reflection of yourself. Tomorrow, love them, and I shall do likewise”
We are transit-craving transients.
A magical mishmash.
We are only here in this life until time blows our feet cold.
Therefore, Louise taught me... to love everyone with feet.
Our feet needn’t even be perfect nor whole, says Louise.
Feet often carry big,
Beautiful hearts,
Painful burdens slung unceremoniously across youthful backs,
Because of the choices made by our predecessors
Inherited to give to our successors.
Aching feet slogging up to the top of the mountain along its many switchbacks.
“Greet the other hikers”, admonishes Lake Louise.
Louise taught me
That control is an illusion.
That good work sticks.
That bad work gets tossed in the fire and given to those who do good work.
That planning is futile.
That we needn’t fear falling
Nor shy from the dark.
That mountains sit huge and patient,
Watching while stars press down palpably upon our egos,
And show us something of God’s.
This is what Louise taught me.
Goodbye, not-so-strange strangers.
I will search for your light and darkness in the eyes of others and call them, “Friend”.
They say it’s not easy to love those who are enemies
But Louise taught me that we are all hiking somewhere, and that we are, therefore, the same.
About the Creator
Leah Friesen
Welcome, reader! I am a 20-year-old Canadian paintress who also likes to read and write and wishes to do more of the latter.
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